Cost of Living Comparison Between Beirut and Hamra Cost of Living Comparison Between Beirut and Hamra

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,655 in Beirut versus $1,009 in Hamra.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,680 in Beirut versus $1,605 in Hamra.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,705 in Beirut versus $2,201 in Hamra.

Living in Beirut is roughly 64% more expensive than in Hamra, driven mainly by Getting Around.

The two cities straddle the global median: Beirut is 20% above, Hamra is 27% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.16 LBP 1.1M

$12.06 LBP 1.1M

0.83%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$63.7 LBP 5.7M

$64.2 LBP 5.7M

-0.79%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.05 LBP 899.8K

$10.17 LBP 910.6K

-1.18%

Cappuccino

$4.67 LBP 417.8K

$4.77 LBP 426.5K

-2.10%

Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.36 LBP 210.9K

$2.36 LBP 211.4K

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.89 LBP 79.4K

$0.83 LBP 74.2K

7.23%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.98 LBP 446.0K

$5.02 LBP 449.1K

-0.80%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.05 LBP 451.9K

$4.93 LBP 441.2K

2.43%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.93 LBP 172.6K

$1.96 LBP 175.7K

-1.53%

White Bread (500g)

$0.89 LBP 79.6K

$0.90 LBP 80.5K

-1.11%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.14 LBP 192.0K

$2.16 LBP 193.7K

-0.93%

Eggs

$3.65 LBP 326.4K

$3.65 LBP 326.6K

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.65 LBP 1.2M

$13.24 LBP 1.2M

3.10%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.78 LBP 965.1K

$10.77 LBP 963.8K

0.09%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.25 LBP 1.3M

$14.15 LBP 1.3M

0.71%

Apples (1kg)

$3.08 LBP 275.6K

$3.11 LBP 278.2K

-0.96%

Banana (1kg)

$1.70 LBP 152.1K

$1.64 LBP 146.9K

3.66%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.66 LBP 148.8K

$1.67 LBP 149.6K

-0.60%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.49 LBP 133.1K

$1.49 LBP 133.2K

Potato (1kg)

$1.36 LBP 121.3K

$1.36 LBP 121.6K

Onion (1kg)

$1.66 LBP 148.5K

$1.62 LBP 145.2K

2.47%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.17 LBP 104.7K

$1.21 LBP 108.7K

-3.31%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.74 LBP 66.2K

$0.68 LBP 61.0K

8.82%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.03 LBP 271.5K

$2.99 LBP 267.3K

1.34%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.80 LBP 877.2K

$10.20 LBP 912.8K

-3.92%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.31 LBP 117.4K

$1.32 LBP 118.0K

-0.76%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.49 LBP 222.5K

$2.48 LBP 222.0K

0.40%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.24 LBP 200.2K

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$77.1 LBP 6.9M

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.88 LBP 436.8K

$4.88 LBP 436.9K

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.30 LBP 206.3K

$2.21 LBP 197.5K

4.07%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$22.46 LBP 2.0M

$22.34 LBP 2.0M

0.54%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.00 LBP 89.9K

$1.05 LBP 93.6K

-4.76%

Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)

$52.5K LBP 4.7B

$54.3K LBP 4.9B

-3.32%

Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)

$32.5K LBP 2.9B

$32.4K LBP 2.9B

0.15%

Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)

$227 LBP 20.4M

$227 LBP 20.3M

0.26%

SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)

$23.70 LBP 2.1M

$23.60 LBP 2.1M

0.42%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$38.37 LBP 3.4M

$38.29 LBP 3.4M

0.21%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$84.7 LBP 7.6M

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$34.38 LBP 3.1M

Cinema Ticket

$10.15 LBP 908.6K

$10.14 LBP 907.9K

0.10%

Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)

$680 LBP 60.9M

$684 LBP 61.2M

-0.59%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.8K LBP 967.7M

$10.8K LBP 967.0M

0.07%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$68.6 LBP 6.1M

$68.3 LBP 6.1M

0.40%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$49.01 LBP 4.4M

$50.0 LBP 4.5M

-2.00%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$138 LBP 12.4M

$136 LBP 12.2M

1.59%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$121 LBP 10.8M

$120 LBP 10.7M

1.08%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$929 LBP 83.1M

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$504 LBP 45.1M

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,255 LBP 201.8M

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,058 LBP 94.7M

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,902 LBP 349.3M

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,805 LBP 161.6M

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$716 LBP 64.1M

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

CityCost data is based on AI and user input – minor inaccuracies may occur.

Last update for Beirut: September 6, 2026

Last update for Hamra: September 6, 2026

Cost Breakdown

Dining out: $64.0 in Beirut vs $64.0 in Hamra. Groceries flip the comparison at $281 vs $280, with Hamra cheaper for home cooking.

City Median Internet Speeds Comparison (Updated April 2026)

The chart highlights the Precision Threshold for mobile and fixed broadband internet speeds, updated quarterly.

Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index

Beirut vs Hamra: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Hamra is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Clothing & Footwear, Sport & Entertainment, Getting Around, Monthly Utilities & Internet. The 64% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $2,482 in Beirut and $1,514 in Hamra to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Supermarket bills run roughly 0% higher in Beirut. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you'll spend $1,655 per month in Beirut versus $1,009 in Hamra – a 64% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,009 in Hamra versus $1,655 in Beirut, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Hamra but tight or insufficient in Beirut. The gap between the two cities makes Hamra the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Hamra is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Beirut, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Expats usually find Hamra gentler on the wallet – expenses run 64% less than in Beirut. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.